Protosound 1, battery question

[dwiemer]

 the goal should have been to not require a battery in the first place.

Chuck, this is one of the reasons that I have a hard time buying the repair kit for scrambled boards from MTH.  It sounds like a design flaw in the first place, as you suggest.  You would think that they would be better served selling a updated board at a reasonable price that would negate having to use a battery at a fair price.

Dennis

[chuck]

NiMH has a very low memory effect but a fully charged battery has a shorter shelf life than a NiCad.  A Nicad has a 10% self discharge rate per month vrs 30% per month for a NiMH. 

Both of these battery technolgies have issues for this specific application and the goal should have been to not require a battery in the first place.

[philo426]

Put in a Nickle Metal Hydride (NIMH)battery.(Available at radio Shack and Sears.)They are expensive but hold a charge much longer than a regular alkaline battery.

[dwiemer]

Thanks for the advice.  I am glad I checked here first.  Since I bought this engine used, obviously, I don't know the history.  Who knows, the board may already be toast, but I do want to give it the best shot without causing damage.  Perhaps this would be one of those helpful suggestions that makes the hints list at top.

Thanks,
Dennis

[chuck]

Dead battery doesn't scramble the board, operating a loco with a dead battery COULD scramble the board.  Safest way to test is to use a seperate section of track or only have the loco in question on the layout.  Apply power and see what happens.  If the unit is ok, it will generate start up sounds and leave reset mode in about 2-4 seconds.  If it's dead, it will take longer to generate start up sounds and leave reset (barrtery has to charge). If the battery is weak/dead, try to charge it up and see if it will hold a charge.  NiCads have a shelf life of about 5 years after which they are pretty much shot.  If the engine doesn't get through the full shutdown sequence after charging, the battery is shot and needs to be replaced.

The scrambling part occurrs if you try to get the loco to move or issue commands by applying DC spikes or voltage swings before it has leaft reset mode.  Think of reset as "Program" mode and bell/whistle/voltage shifts as programming commands.  If you have a weak battery and try to leave reset you will probably scramble the board.

Why not just replace the board without checeking?  Most cases a) the battery is burried and is a pain in the * to remove and b) finding non metal shelled batteries is pretty difficult.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Dennis,

  My PS1, GG1 came with a totally dead battery, and as such it wouldn't go into reverse or run through it's shutdown sounds.  I did run it for a while and left it on charge for a day hoping the battery would come back to life.  It didn't!

Unable to find an exact replacement I substituted a regular 9V battery for a quick fix.  That was a year ago and it still runs as it should with all it's functions available in conventional control.  I've heard of the "3 clanks of death" senario but it seems my PS1 was spared this fate.  I have no knowledge on how a dead battery scrambles the PS1 board, only that mine wasn't effected.  After giving it some time to charge a bit, try running yours through it's paces. 

Bruce Webster

[dwiemer]

Another question for this learned crowd.  I recently purchased a NYC Hudson MTH Proto 1.  I have yet to put power to this engine, but had read in Dick Teal's book about how a dead battery could scramble the board and that you have to either take it to a repair shop, or purchase a descrambler from MTH.  Being that I have not put power to this yet, should I go ahead and get  a new battery, or has the issue of scrambling already been determined and it is just a matter of seeing if it has happened?  Any advise would be welcomed.

Thanks,

Dennis